Prospectus

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AI for Strategy

Course
2024-2025

Admission requirements

Students should already be familiar with some form of coding (to pick up using Python quickly).

Description

This course gives an introduction to using AI for Strategic Decision making, combining academic theory and AI techniques. The course's focus is on understanding the intuitions behind these AI techniques and how they can be applied in the context of strategic decision-making. This course adopts a hands-on approach to implementing these AI tools using Python.

Note: this course uses Python as the coding language for all the sessions, the group project, and the individual assignment. Therefore, completing the course requires a knowledge of Python. The course does not explicitly teach how to code in Python; rather, it focuses on applying AI techniques to business problems, using Python. The course does not require students to know Python ahead of time, but the students need to learn this language during the class — there will be ample learning resources. This might be an immense effort for people who don't have any coding experience.

Course objectives

Upon successful completion, students will be able to:

  • explain AI as a technology and a resource for firms;  

  • evaluate how data as a resource impacts firms and AI use in firms; 

  • analyze impact of AI on business models and corporate portfolio selection;

  • evaluate how AI changes different forms of management practices;

  • evaluate how AI can interact and integrate with humans in a firm;

  • design and prototype innovative solutions to business problems using AI tools and techniques;

  • select and implement appropriate AI techniques to solve business problems;

  • present and communicate AI solutions.

Timetable

In MyTimetable, you can find all course and programme schedules, allowing you to create your personal timetable. Activities for which you have enrolled via MyStudyMap will automatically appear in your timetable.

Additionally, you can easily link MyTimetable to a calendar app on your phone, and schedule changes will be automatically updated in your calendar. You can also choose to receive email notifications about schedule changes. You can enable notifications in Settings after logging in.

Questions? Watch the video, read the instructions, or contact the ISSC helpdesk.

Note: Joint Degree students from Leiden/Delft need to combine information from both the Leiden and Delft MyTimetables to see a complete schedule. This video explains how to do it.

Mode of instruction

6 lectures (2 hours per lecture).
The course emphasizes interactive teaching. Classes start with a brief reflection on the past sessions. Lectures will provide a short introduction followed by (prepared) case presentations and class discussion. Active participation in the class discussion is required to attain the learning goals.

Assessment method

The course assessment details are as follows:

  • In class activities and quizzes: 30%

  • Group project: 35%

  • Individual assignment: 35%

Please note that the grade for a non-completed assignment is 0.
Group work is an integral part of the course. You will be expected to form a team in the first week of the course and complete the group project in your team.

Reading list

Reading list will be announced.

Registration

As a student, you are responsible for enrolling on time through MyStudyMap.

In this short video, you can see step-by-step how to enrol for courses in MyStudyMap.
Extensive information about the operation of MyStudyMap can be found here.

There are two enrolment periods per year:

  • Enrolment for the fall opens in July

  • Enrolment for the spring opens in December

See this page for more information about deadlines and enrolling for courses and exams.

Note:

  • It is mandatory to enrol for all activities of a course that you are going to follow.

  • Your enrolment is only complete when you submit your course planning in the ‘Ready for enrolment’ tab by clicking ‘Send’.

  • Not being enrolled for an exam/resit means that you are not allowed to participate in the exam/resit.

Contact

For all your questions you can contact info@sbb.leidenuniv.nl

Note: If you are an ICTiBPS student, you can contact the programme coordinator of ICTiBPS for any questions about your program.

Remarks

  • There is only limited capacity for external students. Please contact the programme Co-ordinator

  • Students are responsible for enrolling/unenrolling themselves for (partial) exams/retakes.

  • Students who do not enroll themselves for an exam/retake by the deadline are not allowed to take the exam/retake.

  • Students fail the course if any of the partial components (except the exam) that make up the final mark of the course is assessed below 4.0.

  • Students fail the course if the overal grade is below 5.0.

  • The final grade is expressed as a whole or half number between 1.0 and 10.0, including both limits. The result is not to be expressed as a number between 5.0 and 6.0.

  • If one of the components of the final mark constitutes a component that assesses attendance or class participation, students cannot take a retake for this component. Therefore, students fail the course if their mark for this component is less than 4.0.

  • Partial grades, inclusive the exam grade will not be rounded. If partial grades will be communicated, it is possible partial grades are rounded, but unrounded partial grades will be used in the calculation of the final grade. The final grade will be rounded at 0.5 (5.49 will rounded down to a 5 and a 5.5 will be rounded up to a 6.0).

  • Students pass the course if the final grade is 6.0 or higher (5.49 will rounded down to a 5 and a 5.5 will be rounded up to a 6.0).

  • It is not possible to do retakes for group assignments. Therefore, if students fail the group assignment component, they fail the course.

  • For courses, for which class participation is an assessment component, students may not be penalised for an absence if the student has a legitimate justification for this absence. The student must notify the program coordinator via email (info@sbb.leidenuniv.nl) of such an absence BEFORE the lecture, describing the reason for missing the lecture. If the student does not notify the program coordinator before the lecture, the student will be penalised. Students may be required to provide further documentation to substantiate their case, and class attendance requirements are only waived under exceptional circumstances such as illness.

  • Students who are entitled to more exam/retake time must report to info@sbb.leidenuniv.nl 10 days before the exam/retake takes place.

Software
Starting from the 2024/2025 academic year, the Faculty of Science will use the software distribution platform Academic Software. Through this platform, you can access the software needed for specific courses in your studies. For some software, your laptop must meet certain system requirements, which will be specified with the software. It is important to install the software before the start of the course. More information about the laptop requirements can be found on the student website.